The Regina Pats like what they hear from Sergey Zborovskiy, even though he does most of his talking on the ice. Despite a limited grasp of the English language, the 17-year-old Russian defenceman hasn't lost anything in translation as the Pats tutor him on the intricacies of the North American game. In his case, actions really do speak louder than words. "He speaks hockey," offered Pats assistant coach Dave Struch. "He wants to be a hockey player. He applies himself on and off the ice and we look forward to seeing a lot more as we move forward." READ MORE

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The question comes up often in Nail Yakupov's meetings with NHL scouts and general managers. And even though the 18-year-old Russian is still learning English, he can't help but tense up the second he hears the letters “KHL.”
The likely No. 1 pick when the NHL draft gets underway in Pittsburgh on Friday understands why he's continually asked how committed he is to playing in North America. (WCFcourrier.com article) READ MORE

PITTSBURGH — The question comes up often in Nail Yakupov’s meetings with NHL scouts and general managers. And even though the 18-year-old Russian is still learning English, he can’t help but tense up the second he hears the letters “KHL.”
The player projected to be the likely No. 1 pick when the NHL Draft gets underway in Pittsburgh on Friday understands why he’s continually asked how committed he is to playing in North America.
“In the draft they don’t want to wonder if some player is going to KHL,” Yakupov said. “They just want to (us to) play in NHL and work hard.” (National Post article by Will Graves) READ MORE

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
And, by all accounts, this NHL draft could be ugly.
While the Stanley Cup party is still going strong in La-La Land after the Los Angeles Kings knocked off the New Jersey Devils in the final, there will be no rest for the weary as teams prepare to get down to business.
Yes, a long summer (and fall), complete with labour strife, may lie ahead with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire Sept. 15, but it will be business as usual when teams gather next weekend in Pittsburgh. (article by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sunarticle) READ MORE

Two of the top prospects in the upcoming 2012 NHL Entry Draft are Nail Yakupov and Mikhail Grigorenko.
They were both born in Russia, but they decided to leave their homeland before they were even drafted so that they could play in the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League respectively.
All the same, teams still seem to feel obligated to ask them if they plan to, at some point, leave North America and sign with a KHL club. (article by Ryan Dadoun NBCsports.com) READ MORE

Editor’s note: The Canadiens have the No. 3 overall pick at Friday’s National Hockey League draft in Pittsburgh, their highest pick since selecting Carey Price fifth overall in 2005. Over the next week, Pat Hickey will look at the top-five prospects with a generous assist from Craig Button, a former NHL general manager and current analyst for TSN. We’ll look at the players, their strengths and weaknesses, and the chances of them landing in Montreal.
There is no Sidney Crosby in this year’s draft.
There is no Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins). (article by Frank Gunn of the Canadien Press) READ MORE

Forward Sergei Kostitsyn (Nashville Predators) will not be back with the Nashville Predators next season.
Predators general manager David Poile confirmed that he would not offer a new contract to Kostitsyn, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Last week, Poile indicated forward Alexander Radulov (Nashville Predators), who bolted the KHL at the end of that league's season to join the Preds for the stretch run and playoffs, would not return. Poile said he is willing to trade the rights of the Russian for a draft pick or a young player. (lfp.com article) READ MORE

Great things come to those who wait. This is true for Blues management and fans alike, as Russian prospect and 2010 first-round draft choice Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues) has a signed a three-year entry-level deal with the St. Louis Blues. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the maximum allowed amount that a 2010 draft choice can receive under the current NHL collective-bargaining agreement is $900,000 per season. (By Jeff Ponder at the TheHockeyWriters.com) READ MORE

After much uncertainty about his his immediate future, Russian right winger Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues) has informed the Blues that he's coming to the NHL for the 2012-13 season.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, who is in Toronto attending the NHL combine, received a call at 1:30 a.m. Central time from Tarasenko's Russian-based agent, Alexei Dementiev, confirming the decision. Dementiev also told Armstrong that Tarasenko would be calling him in a few hours, which happened at 6 a.m. Central.
"I was just sort of tossing and turning the rest of the night in anticipation of talking to (Tarasenko) and moving ahead," Armstrong said. "We spoke and it was 'Congratulations, we're excited to have you, I know it was a difficult decision.' I just wanted to let him know how happy we were to have him. He said he was very excited to be here." (STLtoday.com article by Jeremy Rutherford) READ MORE

20-years-old Dmitry Orlov (Washington Capitals) scored his first NHL goal on January 15th as the Caps defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. It wasn't only Orlov's first NHL goal, but it was also the game-winning goal as the Hurricanes didn't manage to get back on track after the blueliner's goal. Early in the second period another Russian scored the first goal for the Washington team, Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals), with a great wristshot after passes by Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals). Orlov so far scored seven points in 25 games.

Most likely Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues) will be traded to Dynamo Moscow before the KHL Trade Deadline, then he will go to the St. Louis Blues this summer. In the meantime Russianprospects.com offers you the most recent interview pubblished in Russia, appeared on the hotice.ru website. In this interview, Tarasenko talks about the WJC, the NHL Entry Draft and his ties with his father. (HotIce.ru interview translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

Posting a 4-0 shutout against the potent Chicago Blackhawks, Semen Varlamov (Colorado Avalanche) definitely proved his worth as net minder of the Colorado Avalanche. In fact, over the previous three games Varly has played in he has proved that he has the potential to become the next great goaltender in hockey. With his stellar play, Varlamov has Avs fans reminiscing about Patrick Roy. Avalanche fans also hope the same holds true with Varly that happened with Roy’s first year; a Stanley Cup Championship. (AP article by Barry Gutierrez) READ MORE

In this interview by Igor Polaykov published on the Russian portal Younghockey.ru, defenseman Andrei Pedan (New York Islanders) talked about the WJC, explained the differences between Russia and Canada concerning practices and explained what are for him Russia and Canada. (Younghockey.ru interview translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

nder the direction of general manager George McPhee the Capitals have been among the most Russian-friendly teams in the NHL.
And there’s no sign of that ending soon, with two of the Capitals’ top prospects hailing from Russia.
One of them, 20-year-old rookie defenseman Dmitry Orlov, appears to have landed a permanent home on the Capitals’ blue line.
The other, 19-year-old right wing Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), recently told Sovietsky Sport that his agent plans on talking to the Capitals during the World Junior Championships later this month in Edmonton and Calgary. (cnnwashington.com article by Chuck Gormley ) READ MORE

Prospect Alexander Avtsin (Montreal Canadiens) recently had a brief interview with the popular Russian newspaper sovsport.ru. In this interview he talked about the pre-season and his expectations for the training camp. (Sovsport.ru interview translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

Alex Kovalev and Nikolai Zherdev (New York Rangers), two talented forwards who signed deals with the KHL's Atlant Mytishchi in recent days, both say they turned down NHL offers in the process.
The 38-year-old Kovalev, one of the greatest Russian-born players in NHL history and a veteran of the country's other professional leagues, signed a two-year deal with on July 29. (Sportingnews article) READ MORE

20-years-old Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues) recently decided not to move overseas and to spend a further year in Russia for his mother club Sibir Novosibirsk. The young forward explained in this Vecherny Novosibirsk interview the reasons of his decision, about his father and about his beloved Novosibirsk. (Vecherny Novosibirsk interview by Anna Chuvochina translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

In this allhockey.ru interview, 19-years old Kirill Kabanov (New York Islanders) told how he didn't expect a trade to Lewiston, explained the benefits of his new team and guaranteed that now he’s focusing on hockey only. (Allhockey.ru interview by Andrei Osadchenko translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso)
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In this sports.ru interview, the young prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals) (Washington Capitals) talks about the rehab after his shoulder surgery, about his plans for the next season and explained that he’s more worthy than Ovechkin in Playstation hockey. (sports.ru interview by Andrei Osadchenko translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

In his short time with the Flyers, Nikolai Zherdev (New York Rangers) surprisingly validated himself and his $2 million dollar salary in a number of ways. With 16 goals and six assists in 56 games, while coming in-and-out of the lineup, it was proven that in limited time and on a short and critical leash, he can be a serious offensive threat. Dressed by fickle and demanding coach Peter Laviolette in eight playoff games, it was also proven that when pushed and given time, he will show palpable effort and might even display a dash of competitiveness and defensive application. (Ryan Bright of PhillySportsDaily.com) READ MORE

Nikita Filatov (Ottawa Senators)had been awake for only a few moments on Saturday when he turned on his computer and discovered he had been traded to the Ottawa Senators.
It was a bit of a surprise, but it didn't shock him. After all, about 10 days before he had asked the Columbus Blue Jackets for a "change."
So, with that change now upon him, he was excited to have the chance to jumpstart his career, which has been one of unfulfilled expectations since the Blue Jackets took him sixth overall in 2008. (Ottawa Citizen article by Allen Panzeri) READ MORE

Lorne Molleken planned to be patient. He really did. But when the Saskatoon Blades' coach-GM got a chance to trade up in Wednesday's Canadian Hockey League import draft, he promptly moved up 30 spots and picked Russian goalie Andrey Makarov 30th overall. "We've been trying to trade up for a number of days," said Molleken, who obtained the Prince George Cougars' pick by surrendering the 60th overall selection, plus a 2012 third-round bantam pick. "We had a couple kids in mind that we were really targeting, and some of our NHL contacts said, 'If you can get this kid, take him.' (The Star Phoenix article by Cory Wolfe)
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Alexander Vasyunov (New Jersey Devils) will return to Russia for at least a year, signing a 1 year deal with HC Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl). The young forward has spent part of the last season skating for the New Jersey Devils, though his performance was uneven despite given chances and significant playing time with Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils) at one point. He was qualified by the Devils this year to reserve his rights, but only with a two-way deal. Though this did not guaranty a ticket to the AHL, it appears not to be the chance Vasyunov is willing to take. The young forward will again be elligible to return to the NHL next summer.

Vladislav Namestnikov met with 22 NHL clubs last week at the draft combine in Toronto. It wasn't a batch of typical job interviews. "Some are serious and some are funny -- one team asked me which girls are prettier," said the London Knights . . . only 30-goal man last season. "Russian or Canadian." (Ifpress.com article by Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press) READ MORE

St.Louis Blues apparently liked what they saw during the first season from rookie Nikita Nikitin (St. Louis Blues), signing the young player to a new one year contract. It is not clear whether the contract is two way or one way, but it shows the vote of confidence in the young defenseman who has spent most of the season in the AHL, though enjoying a couple of stings in the Big Show. Nikitin is a product of the Avangard Omsk hockey system and has developed into a reliable top-4 defenseman at the KHL level, showing this season his ability to adjust to the North American ice.

n Thursday, the news surfaced that Alexander Radulov (Nashville Predators)(notes) may be back in the NHL. The Tennessean quoted Preds GM Dave Poile:
"What Paul said to him today was very simply, 'You made lots of money. Is money an issue? You're the leading scorer in the league, your team won a championship. You think you're one of the best players in the world. Are you going to come over to the best league and show that? Or are you going to stay in a secondary league.'"
For whatever reason the Russian media reported the story as if it was Radulov himself who said he wants to come back. Whether or not it is true, it remains to be seen. But when asked about it after yesterday's win against Canada in the World Championships in Slovakia, Radulov told the Russian media that they should learn English and then "won't be writing BS." READ MORE

Despite various positive additions since last season's Stanley Cup defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks, the team once again was broken by its eternal area of instability. Except for the now distant brilliance of Ron Hextall, or the Hall of Fame excellence of Bernie Parent, the ice eternally seems to crack under Philadelphia's goalie crease. With the Phoenix Coyotes potentially boomeranging to Winnipeg, organizational flux might allow their unrestricted free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes) (notes) to sign elsewhere. The Flyers must add this goalie, who was also a teammate of Chris Pronger's(notes) on the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup winning team. While he was a backup that season, his starting numbers since then have been stellar. (Yahoo! Sports article by Sean O'Brien) READ MORE

After the Philadelphia Flyers were eliminated by the Boston Bruins, it didn’t take long for pundits to call on Flyers management to upgrade their goaltending. Though the Flyers struggled at both ends of the ice against the Bruins, there was no escaping the fact coach Peter Laviolette was forced to play “musical goalies,” juggling Sergei Bobrovsky (Philadelphia Flyers), Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton through the Flyers’ short playoff run. (The Hockey News article by Lyle Richardson) READ MORE

Connecticut Whale rookie goalie Cam Talbot paid defenseman Pavel Valentenko (New York Rangers) quite the compliment Sunday. “He blocks shots so well it’s like having three goalies,” Talbot said after watching Valentenko doing plenty of just such dirty work in a 3-1 victory over the Springfield Falcons. With the Whale on the way to tying a season low of 18 shots, Valentenko also gave them some unexpected offense when one of his lasers from the left point overpowered goalie Gustaf Wesslau, hitting his stick and going into the net for his third goal at 9:07 of the third period. “I’ve had a hard shot all my life, but it has always gone the wrong way,” a smiling Valentenko said after practice Tuesday at the XL Center in Hartford. “Now I’ve been practicing my shot almost every day with (assistant coach) J.J. (Daigneault), and it goes in the net. I’ve worked on shooting quicker and hitting the net.” (NorwalkPlus.com article by Bruce Berlet) READ MORE

WASHINGTON — On the evening he scored his third hat trick of the season, Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals) stood in the Washington Capitals' dressing room enveloped by a horde of reporters. Amid the sound of whirring fans drying sweaty equipment, Semin was asked if he can ever predict such a successful performance. (By Katy Carrera of Associated Press) READ MORE

During the 2007 world hockey championships in Moscow, a time-honoured Russian tradition brought a smile to Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs)’s face.
He was about to sign an NHL contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that order of business could not be consummated without a sip of vodka.
“I didn’t do it,” Kulemin said with a laugh through an interpreter in his first major interview since joining the Leafs. (thestar.com article by Mark Zwolinski) READ MORE

Sergei Bobrovsky spent part of his first Thanksgiving in the United States yesterday the same way he has spent almost any other day since arriving in Philadelphia in late August: stopping pucks and laughing with his teammates. Besides his family, girlfriend and friends back in Russia, his newfound success and fans in Philadelphia, and his health, Bobrovsky can be thankful for being paired with Flyers goaltending coach Jeff Reese. (By Frank Seravalli Philadelphia Daily News) READ MORE

Every Penguins fan knows the story of Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins), the Russian hockey superstar who came to Pittsburgh as a teenager without knowing English.
Malkin is also a hero back home in Russia, and one young fan decided to follow in his footsteps.
David Mnatsyan, 17, traveled to Pittsburgh from Omsk, Russia to be just like his idol. He earned a spot on the Pittsburgh Junior Penguins team – wearing No. 71 of course. (Penguins.com article by Tony Jovenitti) READ MORE

Anton Babchuk has just been traded to the Calgary Flames. The Kiev, Ukraine, native has been sent with forward Tom Kostopulos to Calgary in exchange of defenseman Ian White and forward Brett Sutter. Anton Babchuk (Calgary Flames), 26, scored 8 points this season for the Hurricanes. In 185 NHL career games with Carolina and Chicago, the former first round selection scored 26 goals and 69 points. The 2006 Stanley Cup Champion also skated in 2010 KHL All-Star Game.

Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals)'s pace for a career-best 59-goal, 104-point season may not have gotten him on the All-Star ballot, but it is sure to get him on the radar of teams looking to add offense when his one-year deal with the Capitals expires at the end of this season. In the post-lockout era, building a Stanley Cup contending hockey team includes not only signing great talent but also doing so in a cheap and efficient manner. Replacing a scoring talent like Semin, however, is challenging simply because there are not many 40-goal scorers in the NHL. Since the lockout, almost twice as many wingers have scored between 20 and 30 goals compared to the 30 to 40-goal plateau of Semin. Those who have done it multiple seasons are rarer still and almost never hit the open market. (The London Free Press article by Ryan Pyette) READ MORE

Baseball has an adage that warns "you can never have enough pitching." The hockey version of that involves defensemen.
The Blues discovered Friday that defenseman Nikita Nikitin (St. Louis Blues) had suffered a broken right wrist, an injury that will sideline him a minimum of four weeks. The 24-year-old Russian defender fell on the wrist during the Blues' 4-1 victory over Chicago on Thursday night. However, he continued to play, unaware of the extent of the damage. An MRI revealed the break Friday morning. (StlToday article by Dan O'Neill) READ MORE

Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) has an iPad, dry sense of humour and better command of the English language. If his game matches the grasp of technology and delivery of one-liners, then the Russian winger might upstage the show he put on one year ago. (The Province article by Ben Kuzma) READ MORE

Nikita Filatov (Columbus Blue Jackets) has been one of the most talked about NHL prospect the past year or so, but not entirely for the skill set he brings to the ice. Many sceptics have red-flagged Filatov as an indifferent or selfish player; looking out for himself with the decision to play in Russia rather than take an AHL assignment. No matter what anyone has to say about him, since he was a child playing for CSKA Moscow, Filatov’s dream was to come to North America to play in the top league in the world. While the Ken Hitchcock saga was overblown, there were mistakes made by both coach and player, and neither side could move on. So in the end, they both left the organization, though in Filatov’s case it was only temporary as he returns to Columbus this year and looks to establish himself as an elite offensive weapon for the club. (SchoolYourPool.com article by Shawn Reznik)
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VOORHEES, N.J. -- In six seasons of professional hockey, no one has ever questioned Nikolai Zherdev (New York Rangers)'s hands. It's his head and his heart that always seem to be examined. It is no different this week as Zherdev begins his career as a Flyer, his fourth professional team since being drafted fourth overall in 2003. A crowd of close to 2,000 fans -- believed to be the largest ever for the start of training camp -- jammed the Skate Zone on Saturday to watch Zherdev and the rest of the Flyers embark on their 44th NHL season. (DelawareOnline.com article by CHUCK GORMLEY) READ MORE

Arlington, Va. - The statistics are far from surprising.
Last month, in a survey conducted on Philly.com, 75 percent of Flyers fans listed goaltending as their biggest area of concern for the upcoming season - not the forwards, defense, or even the usual suspects like management and coaching.
Flyers fans have been clamoring for a goaltender since, well, Ron Hextall. Or even Pelle Lindbergh, who tragically passed away almost 25 years ago.
Sergei Bobrovsky (Philadelphia Flyers), a 22-year-old Russian, is poised to be the next big name. (Philly.com article by Frank Saravalli) READ MORE

The roster is fairly set, with the exception of the last two defensive spots. I think they’ll go to Tyson Strachan and Alex Pietrangelo. It wouldn’t be a complete surprise, though, if Ian Cole played well enough to earn one. He’s got the tools.
To me, the guy to watch is Russian defenseman Nikita Nikitin (St. Louis Blues). He’s 24 and has been solid in the KHL, but this is his first crack at the NHL. It’ll take time to adjust to the style, but he’s got the size (6-3, 215) and the experience. At the very least, keep an eye on Nikitin. (stltoday.com article by Roger Hensley) READ MORE

The record $3-million (U.S.) fine and the loss of first- and third-round draft picks levied against the New Jersey Devils as punishment for the first version of Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)’s contract is all about NHL commissioner Gary Bettman delivering a hard message to owners and general managers: We warned you about trying to circumvent the salary cap, and these are the consequences. (The Globe and Mail article by David Shoalts and Eric Duhatschek) READ MORE

And on the third-to-last-day before training camp, all was quiet Tuesday in Vancouver for the Canucks. No one resigned as captain. No prospect failed a medical. No more veterans arrived, greeted by the media blast furnace. Nobody held a news conference. Reporters were losing interest, their numbers thinned by prospects camp in Penticton and the Ricky Foley football fiasco. But for Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks), Tuesday was simply as quiet as all the other days he has been skating with potential teammates at Rogers Arena. He came, he skated, he left. But not before a writer finally asked to speak with him. READ MORE

The scout was sitting at his desk at Flyers Skate Zone typing notes into his computer. A reporter turned to leave, when the scout said, “Hey, keep an eye on Bobrovsky. He has a chance to make this roster.” There’s a world of intrigue surrounding Russian goalie prospect Sergei Bobrovsky, who will turn 22 next week, at this Flyers rookie/prospect camp. Some years ago, the Flyers, then under Roger Neilson, went to Peterborough, and there was massive hype about whether cocky Jean-Marc Pelletier was the club’s goalie of the future. (CSN Philly article by Tim Panaccio) READ MORE

In planning for his third rookie camp since he was drafted in 2008, Dmitry Kugryshev (Washington Capitals) knew he wanted to come to Washington early - not a week or few days early, but almost a month prior to the start of official practices - to train and work with the Washington Capitals' strength and conditioning coaches. (Washington Post article by Katie Carrera) READ MORE

Alexander Avtsin signed an Entry Level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The 19 years old forward just skated at the Habs' development camp after consensually breaking his contract with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL. It's still unclear where he will play next season, but most likely he'll spend his first year in North America in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Alexander Avtsin (Montreal Canadiens) scored nine points in this year's KHL prior suffering a serious wrist injury that closed his season.

Former Calder Trophy winner and 2006, 2010 Olympian Evgeny Nabokov (San Jose Sharks) inked a 4-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. The veteran goalie just hit the free agency market after San Jose Shars decided not to renew his contract. Nabokov signed a 4-year deal as he declared that he wants to quit hockey after winning the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Since the institution of the new CBA and since the NHL-IIHF agreement ran out, teams and fans started getting familiar with the infamous “Russian Factor”. 2009 had only seven players drafted from Russia, 2008 had 9, 2007 had only 9 as well and this includes players like Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers), who played in North America. In spite of the good quality up for grabs in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, it’s unlikely to see a much larger number of Russian players drafted.
But does the Russian factor actually play significant a role? If we analyze the picks, it seems that the Russian factor is a bit overblown. (Premiumscouting.com article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

There is no name entering this summer's free agency bigger than Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils).
Come to think of it, there has not been a player entering the free agency bigger than Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils) in the "new" salary cap NHL. Some arguments may be made about players like Marian Hossa or
Brian Campbell. But they are just not on the same level.
A few things will come into play when Kovalchuk makes his career choice this summer: He is looking for commitment, which means there will be no 1-year deals for a chance at the Cup. He wants the team he chooses to be a contender throughout his stay there. Compensation is also very important. And the city is important -- Kovalchuk has three children. (Puck Daddy article by Dmitry Chesnokov) READ MORE

20-years-old defenseman Maxim Goncharov (Phoenix Coyotes) has been signed to an ELC by his NHL team, as reported by Phoenix' official site. The offensive defenseman this year scored 14 points in 51 KHL games. Most likely Goncharov will start the 2010-11 season within the Coyotes' AHL affiliates, the San Antonio Rampage.

Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) has no plans to abandon his dream.
There are sure to be lucrative offers for the skilled forward to return to Russia and play in the Kontinental Hockey League, but Shirokov is still planning on being in North America next fall.
“Next year I’ll go back to training camp in Vancouver and then we’ll see what we’re doing,” said Shirokov, a 24-year-old from Moscow. “If they send me back down, I’ll go to Winnipeg to play and work hard. I want to play in the NHL.” (Winnipeg Sun article by Ken Wiebe) READ MORE

The Philadelphia Flyers are interested in doing some shopping in the KHL as they are reported to be scouting center Evgeny Bodrov and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Both players went overlooked in the latest few draftes and now they are two very good, but still young players. With the Flyers in the need of a goalie Bobrovsky might be a welcome addition within the organization as he showed this year that he is a talented goalie who can play under pressure. Let's remember that the Flyers signed Evgeny's brother Denis Bodrov (Philadelphia Flyers) on January.

TORONTO - There are go-to guys in every National Hockey League dressing room. Players who attract a crowd of reporters after practices, not necessarily because of what they do during the games, or in between them, but because of what they say. Go-to guys are good talkers. They speak in complete sentences, seldom drop into cliche, give context, possess a good sense of humour and provide the writers and the television types with the coveted quotes they need to build a story. Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs)
(National Post article by Joe O'Connor) READ MORE

Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs) has heard the rumblings, the talk about how he'll be seduced by the money in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League and return to his homeland at the end of the season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The 23-year-old said that's been the speculation in the Russian newspapers. (Thestar.com article by Paul Hunter) READ MORE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Forward Viktor Tikhonov (Phoenix Coyotes) rejoined the Coyotes today after playing most of this season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia.
Tikhonov arrived in Raleigh from Moscow late Friday. Members of the Coyotes medical staff gave him a physical examination this morning, which he passed, and he then skated with teammates at the morning skate. He did not play vs. Carolina on Saturday night. (NHL.com article by Dave Vest) READ MORE

20 years old Dmitry Kugryshev (Washington Capitals) has been signed to an ELC by Washington. The right winger is now playing with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, where he scored 23 goals and 81 points this year, improving from the 74 points he recorded during the 08/09 season.
The Red Army hockey school product has a WJC U18 gold medal under his belt, as well as a silver and a bronze from the U20 WJC. He has been picked up by the Caps as 58th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Goaltending prospect Anton Khudobin (Minnesota Wild) has been steadily making his way up to the NHL since coming to North America a few years back. Thus far he has been a strong example of a player steadily working up through the system. First, he spent a season in the juniors with WHL's Saskatoon Blades, following with two seasons primarily in the ECHL, getting very limited AHL ice time with the Houston Aeros. This season the young goalie took another step forward, solidifying the starting job in the AHL and even managing a NHL debut a few days back when Wild's backup fell to a hip injury. Khudobin is now back in the AHL, but his impressive progress is worth noting, since a few years back he struggled to earn ice time with HC Metallurg in Russia and was all but written off as a prospect after a shaky performance vs. Canada at the U20 WJC.

The NHL trade deadline came and further Russian players changed team. The first trade, the most important one, has been completed before the Olympics and brought Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers) from the Atlanta Thrashers to the New Jersey Devils. Kovalchuk's contract will run out in next June. Other two players have been moved on the trade deadline day: Evgeny Artyukhin (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers). Artyukhin has been traded to the Atlanta Thrashers, while Grebeshkov to the Nashville Predators. Both players scored in their debut game and their contracts will run out in next June too.

Ivan Vishnevsky (Dallas Stars) has just been traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange of Finn goalkeeper Kari Lehtonen. This might be a chance for Vishnevsky to get more ice time as he struggled a bit to find some in Dallas. This year he played only five matches in the NHL.

Russian goalie Anton Khudobin (Minnesota Wild) played his first NHL game tuesday night, when his Minnesota Wild skated past the Edmonton Oilers 4-2.

Khudobin, 23, has been iced in the game's third period after an injury occoured to Josh Harding. He reflected all the nine shot thrown towards his crease. (RussianHockeyFans.com article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

The newest Adirondack Phantom stood by the back doors of the cold Civic Center basement, stripped down to tights and a T-shirt, sweating like he just ran wind sprints on a July afternoon.
He had just finished a torturous 15 minutes under the direction of strength trainer Ryan Podell after practice on Thursday. Podell had put him through devious-looking workout involving the kind of thick ropes you’d see on a sailing ship.
Welcome to America, Denis Bodrov (Philadelphia Flyers). (Poststar.com article by Tim McManus) READ MORE

23 years old Denis Bodrov (Philadelphia Flyers) has just been signed by the Flyers to an AHL deal. A chance of scenery might really what the defenseman needs in order to shake his career up after he was released by Atlant Mytischi for bad performances. The talented blue liner has already joined the team and will most likely play his debut game in the next few days.

Russian goalie Alexander Pechursky (Pittsburgh Penguins) played his first NHL game on Saturday and he was named 3rd star of the match thanks to his 12 saves in 35 minutes. In an interview with Russian website allhockey.ru he talked about his eventful weekend and his NHL experience. (RussianHockeyFans.com article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

Only one month after Alexander Pechursky (Pittsburgh Penguins) was signed by the Tri-City Americans of the WHL he stopped his first NHL shots as the Pens needed to quickly sign a backup goaltender after the injury that plagued their lineup. Pechursky has been iced midway through the second period and stopped 12 shots out of 13, allowing just one goal. "Today Pechursky played fantastically", told head coach Dan Blysma to TSN after the match. As he was signed only to a 1-game tryout contract he's going back to Tri-City where he will keep on playing this season.

Solitude can have its advantages. Syracuse Crunch forward Maxim Mayorov (Columbus Blue Jackets) rubbed his hand over his smooth face earlier this week and pointed out one of them.
Mayorov recently cut his hair short and shaved off his dark beard, making him look way younger than his 20 years. In a seemingly unrelated matter, he also broke up with his girlfriend over the summer. The point is, he said, is that now he has no one to answer to on grooming issues.(Syracuse.com article by Lindsay Kramer) READ MORE

Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes), 29, started playing hockey when he was two years old in his hometown of Togliatti. He played in the house and out in the streets with a puck and stick his father and godfather made in a local factory. "I always play with older kids," Bryzgalov said. "They usually put me in the net because I was youngest." (AZCentral.com article by Sarah McLellan) READ MORE

As we reported earlier, Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles Kings) unfortunately suffered from an injury during his very first NHL game on November 25th. Today's report didn't bring good news as he will have to sit for four months in order to go through rehab after a surgery needed to repair a torn capsule that will be done soon.

In the third period of his first NHL game, center Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles Kings) left the ice after a hit with an upper-body injury report, which has turned out being a dislocated shoulder, not a good injury to deal with. The young center is now sidelined indefinitely by his team, further news should be available in the next few days.

I took in a Barrie Colts-Saginaw Spirit game on the weekend, partly because the two Ontario League teams are both having excellent seasons and partly because two dynamic Russians are helping them do so. For the home-side Colts, the flashy import is Alexander Burmistrov, a draft-eligible center who will also be spotlighted on The Hot List Tuesday. Saginaw came to play with pivot Ivan Telegin, also up for NHL selection this summer. (The Hockey News article by Ryan Kennedy) READ MORE

Taken by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Chelyabinsk, Russia native Vyacheslav Voinov (Los Angeles Kings) is in his second year in North America, playing for the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL.
An experienced player for his 19 years, Voinov played two full Russian Super League seasons and took part in three World Junior Champioinships. So far this season with Manchester, he has four goals and seven points in 16 games, and is the top-scoring defenseman on the team as well as the youngest. He has not yet gotten an NHL call-up and this is something that the young blueliner isn’t enjoying much, since he left Russia with only one aim –- to play in the NHL. (Hockey's Future article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

BRIDGEPORT,CT- Evgeni Grachev (New York Rangers) scored one and set up another as the Hartford Wolf Pack continued their winning ways with their 4th straight win with a 4-1 defeat of their in-state and division rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers Saturday night before a crowd of 5,007 at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Swiss rookie foward Andres Ambuhl got things going for the Wolf Pack with a perfect feed to a streaking Mathieu Dandenault as the NHL vetern redirected the perfect pass for his first AHL goal at 15:05. (Eurohockey.net article by Gerry Cantlon) READ MORE

It is one thing to spend your life chasing a long shot like playing in the NHL. It is quite another thing to gamble a half-million dollars of your own money that you can pull it off.
Welcome to the high-stakes world of 23-year-old Manitoba Moose sniper Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks), who has wagered just such a proposition on his hockey abilities this winter. (Winnipeg Free Press article by Paul Wiecek) READ MORE

An interesting article about Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) signing with IMG management, sponsorship, licensing and marketing agency. While the article states that this was all new to Alexander, he was actually represented by IMG when the management company also had a hockey player agency division that was subsequently sold a few years back. That was before he signed with Don Meehan and left IMG in an alleged bidding war for his representation. Interesting read though. (Washington Business Journal article by Tripp Mickle and Liz Mullen) READ MORE

The future sometimes shows itself in odd times and places, as if it wants to make sure we're paying attention.
It seemed that way yesterday after Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock engaged forward Nikita Filatov (Columbus Blue Jackets) in an on-ice discussion that lasted at least 10 minutes near the end of the morning skate.
Filatov, the No. 6 overall draft pick in 2008, had been scratched for the home game last night against the Calgary Flames. It wasn't unexpected -- the 19-year-old's minutes had been shrinking since the first game -- but it was clear from the mostly one-sided conversation that Hitchcock wanted to make sure he understood why. (Blue Jackets Extra article by Bob Hunter) READ MORE

ust got word from the Panthers that Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers) is going to stay with the team and the first year of his entry level deal will kick in tomorrow when he plays against Ottawa.
Randy Sexton said this afternoon that Kulikov could stay throughout the season -- but if he starts to look like he's regressing, they have no problem sending him back to junior. (On Frozen Pond article by George Richards) READ MORE

The good news for the Edmonton Oilers is Nikolai Khabibulin (Edmonton Oilers) already appears to be in mid-season form. The bad news, with all the rubber the steadfast Russian goaltender has faced, is he's had to be. Fresh from a 39-save performance in a 2-1 win over Vancouver Monday, the Oilers' big free agent signing last summer - Khabibulin inked a four-year deal worth $15 million US - has looked like money in the bank after a so-so pre-season and a tough start to the regular season. (FoxNews.com article by Robin Brownlee of Guelph Mercury) READ MORE

Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles Kings) was born in Voskresensk, Russia, a small town 88 kilometers southeast of Moscow. In 19 short years, he has won a silver medal with Russia in the 2008 Under-18 World Championships, been drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round (123rd overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, signed a three-year contract with the Kings and won the Memorial Cup with the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires.
Granted all of those accomplishments have happened over the last two years, but he’s worked his whole life to play hockey at the highest level, and it’s not too far away. (theahl.com article by Kim Muller) READ MORE

After playing in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Evgeni Grachev (New York Rangers) has got a chance to play in the NHL as the Rangers decided to call him up for today\'s regular season clash against the Washington Capitals.

BINGHAMTON -- Ilya Zubov (Ottawa Senators)'s days with the Binghamton Senators appear to be numbered.
One week after making his preseason trade request public, Zubov said he expects Ottawa officials will soon clear the way for him to return to his native Russia to play in the Kontinental Hockey League. (Pressconnects.com article by Michael Sharp) READ MORE

Semen Varlamov (Washington Capitals) made his 2009-2010 Regular season debut for the Washington Capitals on home ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 6:4 win on October 3rd. For the first two periods he was outstanding and allowed just one goal on 25 shots. However, in the third period, when the score was already 6-1 in favor of the Caps, it looked like Washington let their foot off the table, allowing the Leafs to get back into the game with three third period goals. (Washington Capitals Examiner article by Dmitry Chesnokov)
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ALBANY, NY – Number 18, rookie center Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles Kings) made history as he scored a hat trick and picked up an assist in his professional debut as the Manchester Monarchs extinguished the Albany River Rats, 6-3, in their 2009-10 season debut in front of 6,507 fans at the Times Union Center on Saturday night.
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The speculation around Andrei Plekhanov (Columbus Blue Jackets) goes on as now the popular Russian magazine Sport Express reports, quoting North American sources, that the 23-years old defenseman has been loaned to Dynamo Moscow after being demoted to the AHL, literally without having the chance to play in the NHL with the Jackets.

After being sent down from the AHL, defenseman Andrei Plekhanov (Columbus Blue Jackets) might have enough of playing in the minors, bolting back to the more competitive and better paying KHL. The situation isn't clear yet, but a number of media outlets across the ocean report the controversial information that he might be "loaned" to a KHL team. Probably some light will be shed on this case in the next two or three days.

In this interview Russian defenseman Vyacheslav Voinov (Los Angeles Kings) talked about his 2008-09 season, about his life in America, about the AHL and about his future plans. (Mychel.ru interview by Saur Masharipov translated by Eugene L.) READ MORE

As expected, Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers) got freed up by his KHL team and signed an Entry Level Contract worth 3 years with Florida. Even if he signed, it doesn't mean he'll make the team straight up as he'll be evaluated in the first nine matches of the season. Once he passed the cut off he might be confirmed or either sent back to his junior team. Now we'll see if he can do it in the NHL on a regular basis.

It looks like Anton Klementyev (New York Islanders) has been signed by his NHL team to an entry level deal. The young defenseman, who's struggling getting a spot in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's lineup, was on the Isles training camp and has skated in some preseason matches. He's expected to start the year in the AHL, for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Russian rookie Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) has been the most dynamic newcomer in camp for the Vancouver Canucks.
The 23-year-old, who had 17 goals and 41 points for CSKA Moscow of Russia’s Continental Hockey League (KHL) last season, had two goals and two assists in two pre-season games with the Canucks before getting sidelined with a knee injury.
Andrey Osadchenko, a Russian hockey writer enrolled in journalism at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, recently sat down with Shirokov for a one-on-one interview. (Vancouver Sun article by Andrei Osadchenko) READ MORE

NHL training camps keep on rolling and further Russian players have been demoted. Goalkeeper Anton Khudobin (Minnesota Wild) will thus spend his third straight season in North America despite not getting any chance to showcase his talent in the NHL. Last year Khudobin played 17 matches for the Houston Aeros in the AHL. Also Andrei Plekhanov (Columbus Blue Jackets) will play his third North American season in the AHL as he has just been sent down to the Syracuse Crunch. After a good rookie season, Plekhanov suffered from a sophomore slump that limited him to 2 goals in the 08-09 season and thus he has to rebound back this year. Differently from the aforementioned players, Ilya Zubov (Ottawa Senators) did play in the NHL last year (10 games), without impressing too much with only two points. While he has proven himself in the AHL, he needs to further polish his game in order to get more chances in the NHL, where he needs to play in a scoring line to be effective, but is yet to demonstrate that he's good enough for that.

Nikita Filatov (Columbus Blue Jackets), one of the NHL's most dynamic young players, is not going anywhere. He will not be sent to the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate in Syracuse and he will not bolt Ohio to play back home in the Kontinental Hockey League. He will play on one of Columbus' top three lines this season. And any day now he's going to obtain a license to drive in the United States. "I have one in Russia, but last season was so busy and so crazy I never took the time to get my license in the U.S.," the 19-year-old Filatov told FanHouse in a phone conversation over the weekend. "I'm taking care of this before the start of the regular season." (NHL Fanhouse article by Christopher Botta) READ MORE

As the NHL training camps go on, the Los Angeles Kings assigned center Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles Kings) and defenseman Vyacheslav Voinov (Los Angeles Kings) to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. If Voinov is a returnee as he spent last year already within the team, scoring 23 points in 61 games, Loktionov will be a rookie as he spent the 08-09 season in Windsor, clinching the Memorial Cup champions' title. Vyacheslav Trukhno (Edmonton Oilers) instead has been assigned by the Edmonton Oilers to the Springfield Falcons. It will be his third AHL season.

Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) sought out a pair of former teammates before leaving a front-line role in his native Russia to start over as a Vancouver Canucks prospect. The advice he received from Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) and Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins), both onetime linemates during a junior career that produced 13 points in 12 games at two world championships, was simple. "Go. Try. You'll be happy and successful," Shirokov said with translation help from the Canucks' amateur Russian scout, Sergei Chibisov. (Globe and Mail article by KEVIN WOODLEY)
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ATLANTA — Thrashers general manager Don Waddell isn't terribly concerned that training camp starts Sunday and captain Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers) is entering the last year of his contract. "He's been in Atlanta the last few days and skating with some of our guys," Waddell said Thursday. "Ilya wants to be here for a long time." Considering that Kovalchuk's 296 career goals are most in the NHL since the start of 2001, Waddell can't imagine the captain playing for another team. (By George Henry of Associated Press/USA Today)
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NEW YORK -- More than four years removed from the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014, the battle lines already have been drawn by one of the NHL's biggest stars regarding NHL participation. Two-time Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) told ESPN.com during an interview here Wednesday that he will risk suspension and play for his country, Russia, regardless of whether the NHL is formally involved or not.
"Nobody can say to me, 'You can't play for your country in the Olympic Games'" Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) said. (ESPN.com article by Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun) READ MORE

There is a lot of talk around Washington about who will be the Washington Capitals' starter in goal come the first game of the season. A few weeks ago Bruce Boudreau told Tarik El-Bashir that "Jose [Theodore] is the No. 1 guy and the other two young men have got to come in and play the way they did last year and try to push him out." I visited the Kettler Iceplex yesterday where Semen Varlamov (Washington Capitals), who is trying to take over as the Capitals' starter told the media: "I know that he's No. 1 and I'm No. 2 right now. What I need to do is play really well and earn that top spot during the preseason games. Bruce told me last year when the season was over that I would have to earn it, and I'm ready for it." (Washington Capitals Examiner article by Dmitry Chesnokov) READ MORE

Lucky number 38. That's what Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) is hoping to become. As of the end of the 2008-09 season there were 37 Russian-born players competing in the NHL, including the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals). Shirokov is far from a household name like that fab four, but in the eyes of the Vancouver Canucks, he could develop into one. (NHL.com article by Derek Jory) READ MORE

As it was just known, Evgeni Grachev (New York Rangers) didn't report to the Brampton Battalions' training camp as he probably will start the season in the AHL or even straight off in the NHL. After playing a strong rookie season in the OHL, the Brampton Battalions would have welcomed him back for another year, but the Rangers anticipated their plans, making room for the young prospect to start his NA pro career.

After all the buzz created by the last statements by Mike Gillis, who declared that they are very close to sign a deal with one of their three Russian prospects, a strange situation arisen as Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) announced that he wanted to leave CSKA, setting up a legal battle, which is now history after the KHL disqualified him for one year, thus freeing him in his way towards the NHL. (exclusive russianprospects.com article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Lightning finally ran out of patience with hulking winger Evgeny Artyukhin (Anaheim Ducks), whose tantalizing blend of size and speed never translated into production at the NHL level. Artyukhin, 26, was dealt to Anaheim Thursday for 25-year-old left wing Drew Miller and a third-round pick in next year's draft. (The Tampa Tribune article by Ira Kaufman)
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I'm leaving for the NHL with a clean conscience, I always dreamed to play in the world's strongest league. There are no resentments with CSKA, before the session I had a talk with head coach Sergei Nemchinov and we understood each other. I will soon leave to take part to Vancouver's development camp.

In another court meeting Denis Parshin (Colorado Avalanche) and Sergei Shirokov (Vancouver Canucks) have been threatened a 1-year disqualification for the two players in case they won’t report to their alma mater club (CSKA Moscow) by 12 AM of August 12th. In July they didn't report to the team's training camp asking for a better contract and now they are linked to their respective NHL clubs. This analysis contains interviews to the two players and their agent. (exclusive russianprospects.com article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

Nineteen-year-old Evgeni Grachev (New York Rangers) skated in last week's New York Rangers development camp after finishing his first year in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion, scoring 80 points in the regular season and adding another 25 in the playoffs. The Battalion's playoff rush was crushed against the Windsor Spitfires, who defeated them 4-1 in the league's finals, where Grachev missed the last two games. In the other three, he collected only one assist, but the whole team has been outplayed by the opposition. In this interview, Grachev spoke about the prospect camp, about his chances with the Rangers this fall, and Team Russia's chances in the next WJC. (Hockey's Future article by Alessandro Seren Rosso)
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No one really knew what to expect when the best Russian players started filtering into the NHL in the late 1980s. Alexander Mogilny provided the first real glimpse of what the fuss was all about when he defected from his native land to join the Buffalo Sabres two decades ago. Scotty Bowman then made headlines in the mid-1990s in Detroit when he rolled out the "Russian Five," consisting of forwards Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov and Slava Kozlov (Atlanta Thrashers) and defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov. (NHL.com article by Mike G. Morreale) READ MORE

Ilya Kablukov (Vancouver Canucks) is likely to return to Moscow, but not to his home team, CSKA. The young forward is about to sign a deal with another Moscow club HC Spartak. This will be a good chance for the young prospect to get additional ice time, since Spartak is known to be a strong place for young player development. Kablukov spent a sub-par season in the KHL with Torpedo, his first away from CSKA. Here he did get more responsibility, though struggled to follow up to his 2006-07 success with CSKA.

Enver Lisin (New York Rangers) has been traded from the Phoenix Coyotes to the New York Rangers in exchange with Finnish forward Lauri Korpikoski. Lisin, who scored 13 goals and 21 points in 48 games with the 'Yotes this season was qualified after his contract expired on June 30th. He threated to leave to Russia (he had an offer from Atlant) if the team wouldn't trade him as he had some conflicts with the Phoenix coaching staff. It's now an important season for the talented forward as he has to prove that he is NHL material.

As we pointed out a couple of days ago, it looks like Evgeni Dadonov (Florida Panthers) signed an entry level deal with the Panthers despite a 2-yrs deal he was reported to sign less than two months ago. His coach in Traktor Andrei Nazarov commented the situation as it follows:

SKA and KHL fought for Joel Kwiatkowski, but all ended well as overseas they recognized his KHL contract. And a couple of days ago we were told that Florida wants to take away Evgeni Dadonov (Florida Panthers), who accordingly with KHL rules got a new 2-years contract. But it looks like Florida isn't worried.

What do you want to do now?

We might go to a law court. Or we could even ask Pavel Bure, who lives in Florida, to be our embassador and help us protecting our interests.

What, from your point of view, can be a realistic compensation for Dadonov?

We don't need a compensation, we need Dadonov. But if we speak about money, I'd say that with the current financial situation in the KHL our clubs, for a second-third rounder should obtain 500.000-1.000.000 dollars. With these money we can buy one or two good players.

Are you sure that Dadonov won't report on July 23rd, when Traktor's camp will start?

Opposite, I hope that in North America and his agent will change their mind. One year ago we let go Vyacheslav Voinov (Los Angeles Kings) who's now stuck in the AHL and stopped progressing. He doesn't understand how it works in America, if your trainer doesn't consider you, you won't get a chance and you'll be out from the team.

What would be your ideal ending?

We are ready to let Dadonov go, but only in 2 years, when his contract will run out. Or also, we can agree on a similar way as Washington with Varlamov, who was signed, but he kept on playing for Lokomotiv. Such an agreement would be good for both sides.

Defender Vyacheslav Voinov (Los Angeles Kings) and center Andrei Loktionov (Los Angeles Kings) has been invited to the Kings' development camp, that run from July 10th to 12th. Voinov didn't attend the scrimmage because of a light injury.

Russian players Evgeny Lapenkov and Anton Klementyev (New York Islanders), invited to the development camp by the Isles, haven't reported as they had visa problems and never been able to show up. No further informations are available on the matter so it's unsure if they will have a later shot with the team.

As reported by North American sources, Evgeni Dadonov (Florida Panthers) might have signed an entry-level contract with the Panthers. But the situation is tricky because not more than two months ago Dadonov signed a two-years deal with his KHL hometown club, Tratkor Chelyabinsk. Although in a first time it looked like it was a done deal, thanks to Nazarov (Dadonov's coach in the KHL) words, now the situation embittered as Nazarov gave another interview in which he declared that he "is not going to release Dadonov in America. I wished him good luck as a player, but as a team's leader I can't release him. I await him in the team's training camp, which starts on July 23. If he won't we'll have to consider sanctions or penalties. When Dadonov finally will decide to leave to North America, we, all together, will solve this problem in accordance with the KHL rules. For now the question remains open." Nazarov also pointed out that the Panthers never announced Dadonov's sign officially. The situation is going to be cleared up probably this week.

Considering the situation with the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, NHL teams lately took a more cautious approach towards drafting European players. But in the 4th round the Canadiens have been tempted by Alexander Avtsin (Montreal Canadiens) (Montreal Canadiens).
A fairly sized 6-foot-2 player, Avtsin literally tored up the Russian junior league in the last season. Despite his young age he recorded excellent stats like 56 goals and 54 assists.(rds.ca article by Jonathan Bernier translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

Evgeny Lapenkov and Anton Klementyev (New York Islanders) have been invited to the Isles' rookie camp that will run from July 10th to 15th. If Klementyev was expectable, the surprise comes from Evgeny Lapenkov, who had a very good season this year with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, being the team's top point and goal scorer. Klementyev will wear #4, while Lapenkov #29.

Two Russian players, Dmitry Kugryshev (Washington Capitals) and Dmitri Orlov (Washington Capitals), have been invited in the 2009 Development Camp, which will run from July 12th to 18th in the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. It will be an important part of the players' season, especially for Orlov, who recently declared to cross the pound this season itself.

Evgeni Dadonov (Florida Panthers) was drafted in the 3rd round (71st overall) of the 2007 draft by the Florida Panthers and has been a player that a few people have kept an eye on as a future star.
Dadonov was one player I continued to miss while at the Teen Ranch at the Panthers Development Camp so unfortunately I did not have the chance to talk to him.(Letsgoamerks.com article by Keith Wozniak) READ MORE

The number of Russian players drafted has gone down once again. In 2009 only six players coming out from Russia were picked up in the NHL entry draft (plus Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers) who played in the QMJHL). This is down by three compared to 2008.
In 2008, Russia saw two players drafted in the first round, Nikita Filatov (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Viktor Tikhonov (Phoenix Coyotes). This year the first player out of Russia was Dmitri Orlov (Washington Capitals), whose name was called late in the second round with the 55th selection. (Hockey's Future article by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

Bruins' rookie camp will finally feature the highly touted defenseman Yuri Alexandrov (Boston Bruins) as the club invited him to skate with other 23 prospects from the organization. The camp will run from July 7th to July 12th in Wilmington, MA, and will feature both off and on ice workouts.

On July 1st Enver Lisin (Phoenix Coyotes) offered a qualifying offer, thus allowing the Yotes to hold the rights on him. It's still not clear where the forward, who scored 21 points in 48 games, will play in the 2009-10 season. KHL's Atlant Mytischi is reported to have offered him a 2-year deal, but in spite of that most likely he'll continue his career in the NHL. Also Alexander Nikulin (Phoenix Coyotes) got a qualifying offer. Let's remember that the center signed for CSKA Moscow about one month ago.

Russianprospects.com is glad to host Andrej Cicman's interview with Viktor Tikhonov (Phoenix Coyotes) originally posted on slovak website www.hokejportal.sk. In this talk Viktor talked about his early career, his first North American season and about his eventual appearence with the Russian jersey in the next big international events. (hokejportal.sk interview by Andrej Cicman) READ MORE

Montreal invited Alexander Avtsin (Montreal Canadiens) to skate in the development camp that will run from July 6th to 12th at the Bell Sports Complex, in Brossard. Alexander will skate with other 39 players. Maxim Trunev (Montreal Canadiens) won't attend the camp.

As reported by the Russian news agency Daily Sport, Dmitri Orlov (Washington Capitals) might move already to North America. He and his agent Mark Gandler will visit Washington in late July to meet the Washington Capitals' staff. These last news match what he declared right after the draft.

In this allhockey.ru interview Igor Bobkov (Anaheim Mighty Ducks) speaks about the draft, his future, his style of playing and his ambitions towards North America. (Allhockey.ru interview by Andrei Osadchenko, translated by Alessandro Seren Rosso) READ MORE

New York Rangers' development camp has started on June 30th and Evgeni Grachev (New York Rangers) is skating with the team. Having him in the roster the next season is a long shot, but surely he raised his stock after his first excellent OHL season. The team's new Russian draftee, Mikhail Pashnin (New York Rangers), won't report for the camp. READ MORE

In a trade that saw Scott Gomez being traded from New York to Montreal and Chris Higgins the other way around, rights to Pavel Valentenko (New York Rangers) have been involved, even though the young defenseman most likely won't return back to America in the next season as this fall he inked a multy year deal with KHL's Dynamo Moscow.

2010 Tampa's development camp will probably feature Denis Kazionov (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Dmitri Kazionov (Tampa Bay Lightning) as the two forwards have been invited. The camp will run from July 8th to 15th at the St. Pete's Times Forum.